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Texas vs Arkansas- Wednesday, 8pm on ESPN2


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2 minutes ago, MotownHorn said:

A little worried about this one after Arky beat Kentucky 

Other than an emotional homecoming for Cal, they've not been good on the road. 

18 point loss at Mizzou
4 point loss at LSU
24 point loss at Tenn

Their only other road win was at a terrible Miami team that is 5-17 (1-10 ACC)

Texas may not be that much better, but we are 10-3 at home, with all 3 of those losses being to legit teams (Tenn, Auburn, UConn) 

Edited by Js1
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Texas basketball: Who is Devon Pryor, and how has he helped UT climb up SEC standings?

When Texas basketball forward Devon Pryor graduated from high school a year early and enrolled in Texas at the age of 17, he knew that the decision would require some patience before he found steady playing time.

But that time has apparently arrived for the 6-foot-7 sophomore, who grew up in El Paso and played high school basketball in Houston. His injection of length, energy and athleticism into the rotation has coincided with the recent hot streak for Texas (15-7, 4-5 SEC), which has won four of its past six games in the nation’s highest-rated conference while playing its way off the bubble and into virtually every NCAA Tournament projection.

After playing a total of two minutes in the first four SEC games, Pryor has gradually seen more court time in the last few weeks. Over the past three games, he’s averaged 17 minutes a game while posting 19 total points on 9-of-13 shooting to go along with 12 total rebounds.

“I just have to play hard and play defense and focus on rebounding,” he said. “I try to home in on those particular aspects of the game so I could find my way eventually onto the court. And all that will open up a bigger role as I progress.”

 

Texas forward Devon Pryor cheers for a teammate during the Longhorns' win over Missouri last month in Austin. A 6-foot-7 sophomore forward, Pryor has become a critical part of the Texas rotation in recent weeks.
 

Rodney Terry: Team saw diamond in the recruiting rough

Pryor, who just turned 19 earlier this year, apparently has a big role in the rotation right now. In Saturday’s 89-58 win over LSU, he matched a season-high with 21 minutes, pulled down a career-high six rebounds and came within one point of his career-high of 10 points scored in a December nonconference game against Arkansas Pine-Bluff .

He also adds some juice off the bench that had been missing since guard Chendall Weaver went down with a hip injury early in January, said Texas coach Rodney Terry.

Such development is all part of a plan that Terry and his staff envisioned when Pryor first made an unofficial visit to Texas as a raw, gangly 15-year old with more potential than recruiting stars. That plan accelerated when the Texas staff discovered that Pryor — a standout student in high school and at UT — had enough credits at Houston-area charter school PSAT-XEA Academy to graduate a year early and enroll at Texas for the 2023-24 school year.

“Our thought process was, like, hey, this is a kid that has an incredible upside, with a great ceiling,” Terry said. “Let's go ahead and get him to campus right now, start working on his body and start trying to get him physically ready to try to play at this level.”

Pryor, who’s now listed at 185 pounds, certainly did his part in the weight room and in Texas athletics’ cafeteria by putting on more than 25 pounds, according to Terry.

Texas Longhorns forward Devon Pryor listens to coaching during a timeout of a game against the Chicago State Cougars at Moody Center in November. Pryor spent more time absorbing lessons from the bench last season rather than absorbing contact while battling for rebounds on the court.
 

Terry also said Pryor almost earned regular playing time as a true freshman during last season’s 21-13 campaign. But that squad had veterans such as Dylan Disu, Brock Cunningham and Dillon Mitchell in the frontcourt, which meant Pryor played a total of just 25 minutes in seven games.

Even though he burned a redshirt with that limited action, Pryor understood why he spent more time absorbing some lessons from the bench rather than absorbing contact while battling for rebounds on the court.

“I did understand the situation I came into with the older team that we had and the guys that were (here) before me,” Pryor said. “Coming in, I didn't have any expectation to really play; I just wanted to get a jump start on the physicality and the understanding and just picking up the pace. I think that decision is starting to pay off a lot.”

Texas basketball rebounding better

It’s certainly paying off for the Longhorns, who will try to even their SEC record Wednesday against visiting Arkansas in a renewal of a rivalry that stretches back generations in the old Southwest Conference.

Pryor hasn’t quite yet reached the pest level of the 6-3 Weaver on the defensive end, but he comes close with his length and quick feet. And his ability to tip balls and get above the rim gives Texas a big boost on the boards; after losing the rebounding battle in each of their first five SEC games, the Longhorns have outrebounded three of their last four opponents.

“He's playing terrific for us right now,” Terry said. “He brings a lot of energy and activity when he comes to the floor. And I think the best is yet to come with DP (Pryor).”

That best will eventually include more points from Pryor, who gets to the rim and has shown a nice pull-up jumper. He’s also made three of his eight 3-point shots this season, a hint at what’s to come.

But for now, Pryor wants to focus on defense, rebounding, the occasional bucket and making what Terry likes to call “winning plays.”

“The coaching staff knows what I can do, and I know my ability,” Pryor said. “I feel like my scoring ability can definitely be showcased later on. But as far as the game right now, I'm just trying to keep it as simple as possible. I’m just trying to win.”

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Probably old news by now but I just noticed PJ Tucker's heading to Miami

 

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The Heat are trading Butler to the Warriors, sources told ESPN's Shams Charania on Wednesday night, and the six-time All-Star has agreed to a new two-year, $121 million extension with Golden State through 2026-27.

The multiteam trade includes Andrew Wiggins, Kyle Anderson, P.J. Tucker (via the Jazz) and a protected first-round pick going to Miami, and Dennis Schroder heading from the Warriors to Utah. It also includes the Pistons, with the Warriors' Lindy Waters III and Heat's Josh Richardson headed to Detroit, sources said.

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6 minutes ago, ATXbronco said:

Probably old news by now but I just noticed PJ Tucker's heading to Miami

Dude is 39 and still pulling a paycheck. I just looked it up and after this season, his career NBA earnings will be just shy of $90M. Considering he didnt really stick in the league until he was 27, thats not too shabby. It pales in comparison to what the league stars now make, but that will buy a lot of sneakers. 

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Just now, Blotto said:

Dude is 39 and still pulling a paycheck. I just looked it up and after this season, his career NBA earnings will be just shy of $90M. Considering he didnt really stick in the league until he was 27, thats not too shabby. It pales in comparison to what the league stars now make, but that will buy a lot of sneakers. 

He’ll be the 33rd player in nba history to play after he turns 40 this may

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4 minutes ago, GreenspointTexas said:

He’ll be the 33rd player in nba history to play after he turns 40 this may

Well he's not really playing anymore, just drawing a paycheck. No stats for this season, so its a good chance this is his last contract. 

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